A great number of combat vehicles are known, including a turret tank, tank with special suspension for the weapon carried, a tank with a miniturret, etc. In connection with these vehicles, it is known to utilize various types and calibers of firearms, and also various types of loading systems for the firearms. It is also common to man the tank with a certain number of crew members, and to give each crew member a position inside the vehicle which is dependent on the function which the crew member is assigned to perform. It is often necessary to resort to compromises which are related to the importance of the function in question and compromise among other functions may be necessary within the vehicle.
For a combat vehicle which requires substantial striking power, it is important to store the ammunition carried by the vehicle in such a way that a hit will not have far-reaching consequences. It is also of importance to be able to give the vehicle commander a position which permits vision around the horizon via his optical means. Further, a combat vehicle should be designed so that it has a small frontal area which makes it difficult to hit with enemy fire.
In the case of known combat vehicles the various problems can be solved individually, but the solution of one problem requires that some other problem associated with the vehicle must remain unsolved.
Thus, for instance, in a combat vehicle with suspension of the type with an over-hull-mounted firearm or a combat vehicle with said miniturret, the gunner is placed directly under the firearm or gun, while the tank commander has always been given a position where his vision in some direction has been obstructed by the pivot suspension of an elevating mass.
As regards the location of the ammunition, the tank turret is usually chosen, where a hit in the turret, which in itself is not dangerous, with an armour-piercing projectile or a projectile with so-called hollow-charge effect can have a disastrous effect if it hits ammunition which is being carried. In this case, the result can be that the combat vehicle is completely knocked out. Because of this potential danger, it is of importance to have the inflammable parts of the ammunition in a magazine outside the vehicle.
As regards the over-hull-mounted gun vehicles, a small frontal area is provided, but said vehicles have limitations as regards the choice of loading system, and therefore cannot always be utilized.